Multifaced stringed instrument



Ap 1951 w. F. VITOVSKY 2,550,176

MULTI'FACEDJSTRINGED INSTRUMENT Filed Sept. 23, 1949 fa /5 123% M MAGNETIC PlcK uP SPEAKER GROUND RING INVENTOR.

CONYROL ATTORNEY [IV/Ilium f: Vital/sky Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to stringed musical instruments and it has particular reference to certain new and useful improvements in electric steel guitars.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a steel guitar, having facilities for electrical amplification of sound, consisting of an elongated body mounted in a case for rotation on a longitudinal axis and having a plurality of longitudinal and coextensive stringed faces which are brought successively into register with the open top of the case and secured in such position for playing. A guitar constructed in the manner set forth may be supported on collapsed legs or on the lap for playing and in any case, relieves the player of much of the strain he would otherwise be required to endure in playing the conventional steel guitar which has three sets of strings in the same plane requiring separate tunings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multi-faced guitar in which each set of strings is equipped with its individual electric pick-up and a selector ring divided into segments individual to each pick-up so that all but the pickup serving the operative set of strings will be energized, thus prohibiting interference through the amplifier of sounds produced by vibrations of the inactive sets of strings.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a steel guitar constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the head of the guitar.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an electrical diagram showing the relationship between the sound amplifying elements of the invention.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral [0 denotes generally an elongated case which may be of any desired external design and having an open top from end to end. The end members I I and I 2 of the tail and head of the guitar, respectively. are detachable to facilitate installation of the multi-sided core or body l3, whose axially disposed spindle M has its ends journaled in suitable bearings [5 in the end members H and I2.

It is obvious that the number of faces of the core l3 may be increased to as many as eight, if desired, each having its individual set of strings 16, but for purposes of illustration, the practical number of three sets of strings is shown on a core of triangular cross-section. In any case, only one set of strings will be exposed at a time and these will be sufiiciently elevated above the sides of the case that the latter will present no obstruction in manipulating the strings, which latter are anchored to the core in the head of the guitar and secured at their opposite ends to the tuning keys I'l (Fig. 1), which are of conventional n'ianufacture.

The core 1 3 is mounted for free rotation in the case 10 but in order to latch the same in predetermined positions, an arm l8 of resilient material is affixed by means of screws l9 (Fig. 2) to the inner wall surface of the case in the head and extends toward the opposite side to underlie an annular flange 20 embracing the core I 3 adjacent the head end thereof which is reduced to cylindrical shape. The resilient arm l8 has a pair of parallel ears 2! turned upwardly thereon immediately below the annular flange 20 and these ears provide bearings for the shaft of a roller 22, which latter is adapted to fall successively into recesses 23 spaced circumferentially about the perimeter of the flange 20 and thus hold the core l3 in such position that the strings of a selected face thereof will be properly disposed for playing.

To release the core for rotation to a new position, a plunger 24 has its lower end loosely secured at a to the free end of the resilient arm l8 and extends upwardly through a grommet 25, mounted in a hole in a cover plate 26 and through which the plunger reciprocates by pressure on a removable knob 21,.carried by the upper end of the plunger. The latching arm I8 is retracted from the flange 20 by pressure imposed on the plunger 24, causing the roller 22 to recede from a notch or recess 23 in the flange, thus releasing the core I3 for manual rotation to a new position. The inherent resilience of the arm [8 will return the plunger 24 to its original position when the roller 22 drops into a selected recess 23 in the flange 20.

Adjacent the head of the guitar and overlying the set of strings of each face of the core I3 is plate 28. This plate supports the hand of the musician in picking the strings while the opposite hand manipulates the steel.

Disposed on the fret board of each set of strings I? adjacent the hand rest 28 is an electrical sound pick-up 29 of conventional manufacture. Only the pick-up of the strings being used is energized core 13. This selector ring is divided into as many circumferential segments as there are sets of strings on the core I3 and each segment is electrically connected, through wires 3| (Fig. 5) to its individual pick-up 29. A continuous ground ring 32 surrounds the core [3 adjacent the selector ring 3! and these rings have brush contacts 33 and 34 respectively. Each pick-up 29 has a ground wire 35 connected to the ground ring 32.

When the core I3 is rotated to present a selected set of strings in playing position, current from a source flows through an amplifier 36, thence through a jack 31 through wire 38 and through a volume control 39, wire 40 to a segment of the selector ring 3| through brush contact 35 and to the pick-up 28 of the active set of strings. Return current flows through a ground wire 35 back to source through the ground ring 35, brush contact 34, wire 4|, jack 31, wire 42 and amplifier 36.

It is clearly apparent from the foregoing that in each position of the core l3, the selected set of strings can be played with true tonal quality, unaifected by resonance or vibration of the companion but inoperative sets of strings. It is also obvious that variation may be made in the electrical hook-up or that the number of faces on the core may be altered, or other variations made without departing from the spirit or intent of 4 the invention as set forth in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In a steel guitar the combination comprising an elongated case having an open top, removable ends on said case, a multi-sided core rotatably arranged longitudinally in said cas and concealed thereby except for one side of said core, a shaft extending axially through said core whose ends are journaled in the ends of said case, a set of strings on each face of said core, an annular flange embracing said core adjacent one end thereof having circumferentially spaced, peripheral notches therein, a spring arm affixed at one end to the wall of said case and extending under said annular flange, a roller carried by said spring arm normally in engagement with the periphery of said flange and adapted to be received in selected notches thereof, a plunger for depressing said spring arm to release said core for rotation in said case, and means for electrically amplifying the vibrations of a selected set of strings to the exclusion of the companion set.

WILLIAM F. V'ITOVSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,222,959 Stathopoulo Nov. 26, 1940 2,261,357 Fuller Nov. 4, 1941 2,488,646 Suite Nov. 22, 1949 

